Express-car



(No Model.)

P. D. VAN DEVENTE'R.

EXPRESS OAR.

Patented Dec Pres! yfl Vazzflawezzifax To all-whom it may concern.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PRESLEY n. VAN DEVENTER, oEsAms naY, MISSOURI.

EXPRESS-CA R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,2 2, dated Decem er 20, 1887.

Application filed Febrnaryfil, 1887. Serial No. 229396. (No model.)

Be itknown that I, PREtLEY D.VAN DEVEN- TER,0fSalisbnry, in the county'of Charitonand State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Cars for Express Companies, of which the following is a full, clear, audexact description, reference being had .to' the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This car has an outer compartment, with a messenger for the delivery of express packages at each station, and an inn er bulletproof compartment which cannot be entered from the outside of the car and in which the valuable packages are stored, the packages for each station being passed from such strong-room or com- -partmcnt-into1 the other-compartment'iirtim for delivery at the next station. There are projections at the sides, ends, top, and bottom of the strong-room, which contain lamps by which the car is illuminated on the outside and peep and port holesthrough which the messens ger in the strong-room can look and fire at robbers upon the outside. There is an alarm-bell, which may-be sounded by the messenger, but which cannot be reached by anyone on the'outside. The strong-room has also shot-proof ventilators. t

Figure I is a side view of a car having my improvedjconstruction. Fig. Ilis an enlarged horizontal section at II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is an enlarged detail vertical section at III III,

Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail vertical section at IV IV, Fig. 'I. Fig.V is anenlarged detail vertical section at VV, Fig. I. Fig.VI is an enlarged detail vertical section at VIVI,

. Fig. II. I

' The sides of the car are shown at 1, the ends at 2, the top at 3, and the floor at 4'.

5 isthe' outer compartment, which may be entered by a door, 6, in the side of the car or in other place. No novelty is claimed in the outercompartment per se. It may be supplied with means of defense similar to those described in connection with the inner compartment or strong-room, 7 The strong-room may have metal sides, ends, door, and roof to render it bullet-proof, or it may have metal lining, as shown at 8, Fig. II. The sides and outer end of I the strong-room have metal extensions 9, which project beyond the walls of the car,and wh ich i have afisrtures 10 and 11. The apertures 10 a lamp, 13. The lamp is so arranged that it cannot be injured from the outside, the flame alone being in line with the aperture. The lamp-chamber 14. is backed by a metal plate, 15, so thataibullet passing through the aperture 11 could not reach the messenger. The floor has a metal turret, 16, extending down ward, forming a chamber, which contains a lamp, 17 ,andwhieh-has'aperturesflfithrough which the light of the lamp may shine along thebottom of the car, and port-holes 19,through which the messenger may see and may fire beneath the car in all directions. The apertures orfport-holes 19 may be closed by shutters 20.

21 is a removable grating used to cover the sunk turret and yet allow the passage of air,

22 is a metal turret made on the roof of the car, containing apertures 23 and 24. {The apertu res 23 are for the messenger to see along the roof ofthe car, and through which he may-fire along the roof. The apertures 24 are to allow hammer.

the two compartments .5 and 7. vThese portholes may be closed by shutters 31 under control of the messenger within the strong-room, so that, while he may use them to see into the annoy or endanger this messenger.

32 is the aperture through which the expre'ss matter enters or leaves the strong-room. This is solely under control of the messenger in the strong-room.

The apertures through which the light of the lamps'passes may becloscd by glass or may The apertures are closed tures 11 are to allowthe passage of light from.

may be struck, and 28 is the pull-cord of the 29 are port holes in the partition 30 between light from thelamp 25 to pass and to allowsound outer compartmentmo one can use them to is closedby a strong shutter or door,"33,which' be left open. 'Anyof the port-holes or the.)

other holes in the roof-turret may be used for said openings and controlled bya person withventilation; but I also provide special shotin the compartment, substantially as and for proof ventilators 34, in which the air-passage the purpose set forth.

traversed by flat metal bars 35 set at differ- 2. A bullet-proof compartinentin acar,hav-

5 :ut angles, so thata ball could not pass through ing projecting parts containing lamps shining 20 till"? zigzag way between the bars. throng]: apertures in these parts and having 1t is understood that the messenger in the port-holes, substantially as and for the purstrong-room would, be supplied with a darkpose set forth. lantern, and that none of the lamps intended A earventilator having cross-bars of fiat xc to cast light without the car would give any metal set angnlarly with each other, substan- 25 light within the strong-room. 1 tially as and for the purpose set forth.

' I claim as my invention PRESLEY l). VAN DEVENTER.

1. A bulletproof compartment in a car,hav Witnesses:

ing outwardly-projecting parts on the walls, .TAs. G. GALLEMQRL),

5 havingport-holes and shutters adapted to close i ALLX \V. JoliNsoN. 

